Electric baseboard heater units



NOV. 24, 1970 DINCHER ET AL 3,543,003

ELECTRIC BASEBOARD HEATER UNITS Filed Sept. 4, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS Richard E. Dincher,

BY George 6. England and Roberf' W Rogers Nov. 24, 1970 R. E. DINCHER ET AL 3,543,003

ELECTRIC BASEBOARD HEATER UNITS Filed Sept. 4;, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 94 Fig. 3

. w B INVENTORS RlChGI'd E. Dlncher, Y George G. England and B Robert W. Rogers WITNESS: (l v s 8 061 fr/688! i T ORNEY Nov. 24, 1970 R. E. DINCHER ET AL 3,543,003

ELECTRIC BASEBOARD HEATER UNITS Filed Sept. 4, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 E In INVENTORS RlChOl'd E. Dincher, BY George G. England and Roberf W. Rogers YTORNEY United States Patent O 3,543,003 ELECTRIC BASEBOARD HEATER UNITS Richard E. Dincher and George G. England, Skaneateles,

and Robert W. Rogers, Auburn, N.Y., assignors to The Singer Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 757,240 Int. Cl. Hb 3/50 US. Cl. 219-366 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electrically energized elongated baseboard heater including an elongated housing and provisions for mounting the housing on a Wall. The baseboard heater includes an elongated unit or core that carries heating element apparatus for connection to a source of electrical energy. The core unit further includes provisions for removably mounting it on the housing so that it may be reversed end for end on the housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The prior art discloses various types of electrically energized baseboard heaters that are adapted to be mounted on the interior walls of buildings near the bottom of the wall close to the floor to provide better distribution of the radiated heat. Some of the prior art baseboard heaters are provided with electrical terminals for the electrically energized heating elements at one end only of the heaters. However, since it has been found desirable to be able to connect the source of electrical energy to either end of the heater manufacturers construct their units either (a) with a set of electrical terminals at both ends of the heater units or (b) with the terminals positioned on the right side only of some of their units and on the left side only of other of their units. One of the drawbacks of the (21) units is that the cost of providing two sets of terminals is too high to be competitive and another is that it adds to the non-heat radiating segment of the unit. One of the drawbacks of the (b) units is the added expense of keeping in stock twice as many units because it is necessary to use both left and righthand units. A third solution to the problem is disclosed in the U..S. Pat. 2,861,167, Nov, 18, 1958, issued to A. P. Wick who utilizes a terminal at one end only but makes his heater symmetrical so that a user may reverse the whole unit end for end. However, the Wick baseboard heater discloses a non-radiating space at both end sections of the heater. Furthermore, to meet the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. specifications for baseboard heaters of the size and wattage contemplated by the present heater a thermal cut-off device is required. Such a thermal cut-off device is designed to detect overheated segments of the heater and thereupon actuate a swtich that disconnects the heating element from the source of electrical energy. Such heat detection devices are positioned along the length of either the top or the bottom of each unit, but due to the different heating characteristics at the bottom and top of each unit, a heat detection device designed for the top of the unit will not function properly at the bottom of the unit and vice versa. Thus, the Wick baseboard heater unit cannot utilize such a heat detection device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises an electrically energized baseboard heater having an elongated housing assembly adapted for mounting on the inner wall of a building. The heater core assembly includes an elongated heating element unit that carries an electrically energizable heating element equipped with electrical terminals for connection to a source of electrical energy. The invention further includes apparatus that removably mounts the core assembly on the housing assembly and allows such core assembly to be selectively reversed end for end on the housing assembly.

The baseboard heater of the present invention avoids or overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art as described above because it may utilize only one set of terminals at one end of the unit, and includes a heating element core assembly that is reversible end for end on the baseboard housing in such a manner that a heat detection device mounted on the core assembly in its most eifective position and, in the present heater assembly is always positioned between the bottom of the housing and the heating element of the core assembly.

The heater of the present invention has the advantage that for a given length of housing assembly the novel construction of the heater allows for the maximum length of heating element and at the same time allows for assembly of the housing and core in a manner to provide a junction box means at a selected end of the heater.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded view, in perspective, of the baseboard heater of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows the same baseboard heater unit as in FIG. 1 but with the core assembly reversed end for end;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view, partially broken away, of the core assembly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged end elevational view, in section, of the baseboard heater showing it attached to the wall of a building;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view, in perspective, of corner connecting elements for the baseboard heater of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of end portions of two adjacent housing assemblies, illustrating the manner of connecting them together;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged front elevational view; partly in section, of the heater with the junction box cover plate removed to illustrate the wiring connections;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged disassembled perspective view illustrating the way in which the thermal cut-off switch and the heater element terminals are electrically connected;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the two-piece heating element supporting bracket.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates the baseboard heater generally and, as illustrated, is elongated and substantially rectangular as viewed from the front (FIG. 3) and also as viewed in cross section (FIG. 5). The heater 10 includes a rectangular open faced housing 12 that supports the other elements of the heater unit. The housing 12 includes a rectangular rear or back wall 14 and identical oppositely disposed side Walls 16 and 18 extending outwardly away from the rear wall and joined by a top wall 20 and an oppositely disposed bottom wall 22 also extending outwardly away from the back wall 14. The depth of the bottom wall 22 is less than that of the top wall 20 and the side walls correspond in depth to the top wall 20 to a point near the lower end of the side walls Where a segment thereof is cut out to reduce the depth to that of the bottom wall 22. Each of the lower sections of the side Walls 16 and 18 present an edge 23 from which extends an integrally formed stop tab 25 that extends a short distance inwardly parallel to the rear wall 14. A plurality of holes 24 in the rear wall 14 allow the housing to be secured to a house wall 26 by the screws 28.

The free end segment of the top wall 20 is turned downwardly and inwardly to form a lip 30 while the free end segment of the bottom wall 22 is turned upwardly and inwardly to form a lip 32. On the rear wall 14 there are formed two parallel rows of spaced stop nubs 34 (FIG. that extend along the length of the rear wall, one row of nubs being spaced a short distance downwardly from the top wall and the other row being spaced a short distance upwardly from the bottom wall 22. Positioned between the top row of nubs and the underside of the lip is a heat deflecting plate 36 (FIG. 5) that extends lengthwise of the housing 12. The plate 36 extends at an acute angle from the vertical rear wall 14 to the top wall 20 and is captured between the lip 30 and the nubs 34 thereby to hold the plate securely in place. The plate 36 includes two screw holes 38 one near either end of the plate. Captured between the bottom row of stop nubs 34 and the lip 32 is an endwise slidable wire raceway cover 40 that is a length x shorter than the length of the housing 12. Punched out of the rectangular rear wall 14 are a plurality of mounting tabs or hooks 42. Each mounting tab includes a tongue 44 that is spaced from but parallel with the back wall 14, each tongue being spaced an equal distance from the back wall. The mounting tabs 42 consist of two sets of four each, each set of four being spaced inwardly from its respective housing side wall approximately one-third the length of the housing 12. Each set of four mounting tabs is divided into two pairs and in each pair the free end of one tab tongue faces the free end of the other tab tongue across a short predetermined distance. Formed in the back wall 14 close to the bottom wall 22 are two apertured ground bosses 46, that receive screws 45, each boss 46 being spaced an equally short distance from its respective side wall. Also formed in the back wall 14 are two apertured locking bosses 47 positioned closer, vertically, to the upper line of mounting tabs (FIG. 5) than the bottom line and outwardly of the line of tabs. The bosses 47 receive screws 49. The back wall 14 further includes in each end section a plurality of knockout discs 48. The discs 48 have been partially cut out and require only a slight tap with a hammer to remove the discs to provide openings for electrical conduits, as described below. Knockout discs 50 are also provided in the lower segment of each of the side walls 16 and 18, while in the upper segment of each side wall there is provided a screw hole 52, the function thereof to be described below. Further knockouts 53 are provided in the bottom wall 22.

A tubular U-shaped electric heating element 54 constructed of conventional designs is supported in a core assembly 56 which in turn is removably mounted in the housing assembly 12. The U-shaped electric heating element 54 extends substantially the length of the housing 12 and has mounted thereon, at regularly spaced intervals, a plurality of identical parallel heat conducting fins 58 which extend transversely of the heating element 54 and at right angles to the back wall 14 and parallel with the side walls 16 and 18. To each of the two ends of the heating element 54 there is connected a terminal 60. The heating element 54 is positioned between two identical face plates 62 which are closed by apertured end plates 64 and 66. Intermediate the length of the heating element 54 a two-section bracket 68, secured to the face plates 62, receives the heating element 54. The bracket 68 and the end plate 64 combine to support the element 54 between the face plates 62. Each face plate 62 has formed thereon two pairs of tab loops or eyes 70 each pair on each face plate spaced equidistant from the ends of the face plate. To the end plate 64 there is attached a protective band 72 constructed of electrically nonconductive material to cover each of the terminals 60. Extending outwardly from the end plate 64 and parallel to the back wall 14 are a pair of slotted lock tabs 74.

Mounted on the upper section of the end plate 64 is a conventional thermal cut-off switch 76 to which is connected a capillary tube 78 that extends down and along substantially the length of the bottom of one of the face plates 62. The switch 76 is connected in series between one of the terminals 72 and the positive side of the electrical power supply. The capillary tube 78 contains a .fluid that expands as the heat to which the tube is exposed increases. The tube and its fluid and the cut-off switch are designed to actuate the switch when the tube or a section of it is exposed to a predetermined high temperature.

To mount the heating element core assembly 56 on the housing 12 it is merely necessary to place the unit 56 within the confines of the housing 12 with the thermal cut-off switch 76 in the upper part of the housing and in the end of the housing desired. The core assembly 56 may then be slid endwise so that the hooks 70 on the face plate 62 facing the back wall 14 engage those mounting tabs or hooks 42 having the free end of their tongues 44 extending in the direction opposite to the direction that the unit 56 is being slid. When the core assembly 56 is mated with the tabs 42 the appropriate apertured locking boss 47 is aligned with its corresponding slotted lock tab so that the slot in the tab is aligned with the aperture in the boss to allow the installer to insert the screw 49 and thereby lock the core assembly 56 against endwise movement and also against movement away from the back wall 14. With the core assembly 56 locked in place the wire raceway cover 40 can also be slid as far as it will go in the same direction that the unit 56 was moved. The distance, designated as x, FIG. 1, between the exposed end of the raceway cover 40 and the housing side wall opposite is equal to the distance between the end plate 64 and that same side wall, and the space defined thereby, along with the defining walls and a junction box cover '80, is designated in the art as the junction box, here indicated generally by the numeral 81. The cover 80 is formed with a flat face 82 and a V-shaped end segment having a flange 84 formed with an aperture 86, while the opposite end segment includes a flange 88. The cover 80 is mounted by slipping the flange 84 under the lip 30 of the housing 12 and then sliding the flange 88 under the lip 32 of the housing with the flange 88 resting on the stop tab 25 to keep the cover properly spaced from the back wall 14. The cover is secured in place by a screw 85 received by the aperture 86 in the flange 84 and the corresponding aperture 38 in the heat deflecting plate 36. The electrical conduit 94 connected to the switch 76 may be conveniently led through the aperture remaining after one of the knockouts 48 at that end segment of the back wall 14 is removed, and thence to the positive side of an electric power source through suitable terminals and wiring in the house wall 26. The negative or return side of the electric supply is connected to an electrical conduit 96 which is also led through the aperture remaining after the knockout 48 is removed, and finally, when necessary, an electrical grounding wire (not shown) may be led through the opening to the ground boss 46 to which it is secured, thereby grounding the housing 12. The metallic structure forming the support unit 56 and the raceway cover 40 and the heat deflecting plate 36 are in turn grounded by suitable grounding connections to the housing.

The junction box 81 may be formed at the opposite end of the heater 10 simply by removing the cover 80, disconnecting the electrical conduits and the screw 47, securing the lock tab 74 to the boss 47 on the back wall 14, sliding the support unit 56 off the tabs, turning the unit 56 end for end without reversing its vertical position and thereafter sliding the raceway cover 40 toward the opposite side wall of the housing and remounting the unit 56 toward the opposite end of the housing. Thereafter the connections may be completed as was done in the initial mounting. Thus, the electrical connections for the electric input conduits can be made readily available at a selected end of the housing 12.

As can be understood by reference to FIG. 7 the present invention contemplates securing a plurality of heating units end to end. In FIG. 7 the identical housings are labeled as A and B. The securing is accomplished simply by passing a bolt 98 through apertures 52 in side walls 16 and 18. At the bottom of the side walls 16 and 18 the holes 90 remaining after the knockout discs 50 have been removed receive a hollow connector 102 that mates with a nut 104 to lock the lower ends of the housing. The hollow connector 102 is utilized to pass the electrical conduits from the housing A to the housing B. The electrical conduits that connect the heater element for the B housing are first led into the junction box (not shown in FIG. 7) end of the housing and then through the wire raceway and finally into the housing B.

FIG. 6 illustrates an arrangement by which the present invention provides for mounting the baseboard heaters 10 so that they may be connected at a right angled corner. Thus, the knockout discs 50 are removed from the side walls 16 and 18 to provide the holes 90 that receive hollow connectors 102 which in turn pass through holes formed in the bottom of plates 106. The plates 106 mount on the end faces of the legs of a hollow L-shaped corner box 108 that is equal in height to that of the housing 12. The top section of the housings A and B and the corner box 108 are secured by the screws 98 and the nuts 100. It is therefore possible to bring the electrical conduits from the raceway of housing A through the hollow connectors 102, the corner box 108, and finally to the housing B.

From the above description taken in connection with the drawings, it will be apparent that for a given overall length of the baseboard heater there is provided the maximum length of heater element, and at the same time assembly of the housing assembly and core assembly is such as to permit the junction box to be arranged at either end of the heater unit. The components of the core assembly are extremely simple in instruction. The front and rear face plates 62 are identical and each has secured to it one section of the heating element supporting bracket 68. The two sections of the supporting bracket are also identical and are provided with apertures 68 and hook tabs 68". The apertures and hook tabs are so located that when the final'assembly of the front or rear face plate takes place the two sections of the heater element supporting bracket automatically interlock, as shown in FIG. 4, and thereby secure the heating element in its proper position. It is apparent that the core assembly is a complete unit and that it can readily be reversed end for end in the housing assembly to provide the junction box at either end of the heater.

What is claimed herein is:

1. An electric baseboard heater comprising:

(a) an elongated housing assembly having a rear wall,

a top wall, a bottom wall, a right end wall and a left end wall,

(b) a core assembly, including a heating element having terminals at one end thereof, located within said housing assembly and having a length shorter than the length of said housing assembly,

(c) a junction box located within said housing assembly and having a size determined by the total difference in length between said core assembly and said housing assembly,

(d) electric conduit means connected to the terminals of said heating element and extending into said junc- 6 tion box means for ultimate connection to a source of electrical energy,

(e) two sets of mounting means formed in said housing assembly,

(f) the core assembly having symmetrical front and rear face plates,

(g) mountingmeans formed on the front and the rear face plates selectively to interconnect the core assembly and the housing assembly with the mounting means on one of the face plates co-operable with one of the sets of mounting means on the housing assembly to locate the junction box at one end of the housing assembly, and with the mounting means on the other of the face plates co-operable with the other set of mounting means to locate the junction box at the other end of the housing assembly, and

(h) the mounting means of the housing assembly and the core assembly, including a pair of spaced hooks slidably engageable within a pair of correspondingly loop-shaped members, with the hooks formed on one of the assemblies and the loop-shaped members formed on the other assembly.

2. The electric baseboard heater claimed in claim 1,

wherein the core assembly includes,

(a) end plates securing said face plates in substantially relative parallel relation,

(b) the heating element located between said front and rear face plates and having the terminals thereof projecting through one of said end plates and into said junction box,

(c) a heating element supporting bracket comprising two complemental members adapted to embrace the heating element at a point spaced from the junction box, and

(d) said two complemental members constructed to cooperate with one another when the two face plates of said core assembly are secured to said end plates.

3. An electric baseboard heater as claimed in claim 2 wherein the two complemental members comprising the heating element supporting bracket are symmetrical in shape and are respectively formed as to interlock during the positioning of the two face plates on the two end plates of said core assembly.

4. The combination claimed in claim 1 wherein:

(a) lock tabs formed on the core assembly, one on each of the front and rear face plates,

(b) the lock tab of the face plate which has the mounting means thereof engaged with the mounting means of the housing assembly disposed within the junction box, and

(c) locking means in the junction box connected to the lock tab to lock the position of the end of the core assembly adjacent the junction box while permitting free thermal expansion of the other end thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,976,389 3/1961 Burger et al. 219-366 2,993,978 7/1961 Markel et a1 219-366 X 3,051,816 8/ 1962 Knoll et a1. 219-365 3,448,243 6/1969 Ripple 219-366 ANTHONY BARTIS, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

